Owo High School Alumni Ask Ondo Government for Help Against Land Grabbers

The Old Students Association of Owo High School is asking the Ondo State Government to step in over what they call ongoing land grabbing at the school. They say people are trying to take over parts of the school’s land, which is hurting their efforts to improve the school’s facilities.

During a visit to The PUNCH Place in Magboro, Ogun State, on May 20, the association leaders, led by national president Foluso Falaye, raised their concerns. They said they have made many complaints to the state government, but nothing has changed. The alleged land grabbers keep encroaching without fear.

In a letter dated December 18, 2025, sent to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa through Igbekele Ajibefun, the Commissioner for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the association explained the school’s history and land ownership. The letter was signed by Falaye and Folagbade Alamudun, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Owo High School was founded in January 1963 by the late Michael Adekunle Ajasin, who was the former governor of old Ondo State. The school started on a 25-hectare piece of land and became government property after the takeover of private secondary schools in 1974.

The association, which has over 8,000 members in Nigeria and overseas, decided to help the school after seeing the decline in facilities and educational standards in public schools. "The association believes that the task of restoring the glory of our educational system should not be left in the hands of government alone," the letter stated.

As part of their plan, the alumni group conducted surveys and created a master plan to improve the school. They want to renovate classrooms, build new structures, install modern toilets, upgrade laboratory and library facilities, introduce digital learning tools, and add more teachers.

But these plans are now at risk due to the growing encroachment on the school’s land. "In order to commence execution of this vision, the association observed that the school’s land meant for this development had been breached through various encroachments by illegal land grabbers," the letter said.

The association claimed that homes, shops, and places of worship have appeared on parts of the school’s land, despite previous government actions. They said investigations by the Ministries of Education and Lands, along with the Office of the Surveyor-General, confirmed that the structures were illegal.

The ministries reportedly ordered work to stop and marked some buildings for demolition after the occupants could not show valid title documents. The alumni group said they got government approval in 2021 to build a fence around the school to protect the land.

However, they claimed that the project faced many disruptions. "Following the commencement of the fence installation, the work was disrupted several times by illegal land grabbers who threatened to kill our workers. They also demolished parts of the fence already constructed," the association stated.

They also alleged that the encroachers used police officers and hoodlums to intimidate the school’s management and contractors. The alumni group pointed out that the ownership dispute had already been resolved by the courts.

"The claimants pursued a civil case through the courts, asserting ownership of the land. The matter went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled against their claims and reaffirmed the school’s ownership of the land," the letter stated.

The association said that the ongoing occupation of the land, even after the court ruling, challenges the rule of law. "This continued defiance, in the face of a settled Supreme Court ruling, is not merely an act of trespass but a direct affront to the rule of law and the authority of the state," it added.

They urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to remove all illegal structures from the land and protect the school’s property. "We count on your good office to support the laudable initiatives started by the old students’ body and clear the entire area of all illegal structures, allowing our planned interventions to continue," the association appealed.

They added that keeping Owo High School intact is key to honoring the legacy of the late Ajasin and ensuring future generations receive quality education.

On Tuesday, the Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Ajibefun, did not answer calls to his phone. He also had not replied to a text message sent to him by the time this report was filed.